The invention relates to a support element, to an integrated module for extracorporeal treatment of blood comprising the support element, and to an apparatus for extracorporeal treatment of blood equipped with the integrated module. The invention further relates to an assembly process of an integrated module for extracorporeal treatment of blood.
Specifically, though not exclusively, the invention can be usefully applied to the field of extracorporeal treatment of blood for treatment of renal insufficiency.
The prior art teaches apparatus for blood treatment which remove blood from the patient in a line, carry out an extracorporeal treatment on the blood and then return the treated blood to the patient. Apparatus of this type are used for various treatments; for example therapeutic and non-therapeutic plasmapheresis, extracorporeal oxygenation of blood, purification of blood and removal of water in cases of renal insufficiency. The present invention will be described with particular reference to intensive treatment of renal insufficiency, without any limitation being placed on the ambit of the invention to this specific application thereof.
EP 0 611 227 teaches a multifunctional integrated module for application to a multifunction apparatus for intensive treatment of renal insufficiency, in particular for hemodialysis, hemofiltration and hemodiafiltration. The integrated module comprises a support element, a blood treatment device mounted on the support element and a complex of fluid distribution lines cooperating with the treatment device and associated to the support element. The blood treatment device comprises a semi-permeable membrane which separates two chambers. The distribution line complex comprises a blood withdrawal line from the patient (or arterial line) connected to an inlet of a first chamber of the treatment device, a return line (or venous line) of the treated blood to the patient, connected to an outlet of the first chamber, an infeed line of a treatment fluid (for example a dialysis liquid) connected to an inlet of the second chamber of the treatment device, a waste fluid discharge line connected to an outlet of the second chamber, an infusion line of a substitution liquid which is introduced into at least one of the blood lines, an anticoagulant infusion line which is introduced into the arterial line. The support element comprises a plate-shaped body made of press-formed plastic material. The complex of fluid distribution lines is fixed to the support element at gluing points and zones which are predefined on an internal face of the plate-shaped body, while the treatment device is mounted on the external face of the plate-shaped body itself.
During use, the integrated module is mounted on the blood treatment device and set up following a predefined and simple interconnection procedure so that the treatment device is connected, by the distribution lines, to the cardiovascular system of the patient as well as to suitable containers for access and collection to and of the fluids used in the process. Some distribution lines of the module are coupled with respective peristaltic pumps which the apparatus is equipped with. The pumps invoke circulation of the fluids in the lines; the lines are each provided with a U-shaped arched segment, preformed during assembly of the module and intended for coupling to a pump. On mounting the integrated module on the apparatus the various arched segments of the distribution lines are easily couplable about the peristaltic pumps, so that the latter are immediately operative.
The integrated module is of a disposable type, i.e. destined to be disposed of, usually after a first use, and substituted by another.
The above-described integrated module has the advantage of being easily and rapidly installed on the treatment device. The simple and rapid set-up of the module is particularly advantageous for renal insufficiency intensive treatments, in which the personnel at work is often not expert in the use of machines for blood treatment and where the urgent readying and application of the machine is often of vital importance. Similarly, the dismounting of the module is equally rapid and simple.
The prior art as described above is susceptible to improvement at various levels:                firstly, the fact that the integrated module has to be totally eliminated after use, including parts such as, for example, the plastic support element, which does not come into direct contact with bodily fluids;        secondly, the assembly of the integrated module, which is a rather delicate stage, as high precision of positioning of the U-segments of the distribution lines on the support element is required, so that correct coupling with the peristaltic pumps can be achieved;        thirdly, in relation to the long set-up times and high costs of assembly of the integrated module, which must include a relatively complicated and laborious stage of precise positioning and gluing of the various distribution lines in predetermined gluing zones on the support element.        